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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29987295">Tadpoles</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timeforelfnonsense/pseuds/Timeforelfnonsense'>Timeforelfnonsense</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Baldur's Gate, Dungeons &amp; Dragons (Roleplaying Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Freeform, Past Trauma Mentioned, Spicy, a little bit of hurt comfort!, misuse of the tadpoles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:07:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,249</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29987295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timeforelfnonsense/pseuds/Timeforelfnonsense</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There are so many fun things one can do when they have a mental connection to their partner.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Astarion (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Astarion/Female Charname (Baldur's Gate)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tadpoles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rayan lingered behind Wyll, his attention fully committed to the yellowing map spread out before him. His hand came to rest on his jaw, fingertips methodically stroking the lightly stubbled skin. Wyll exhaled an exacerbated sigh as he plucked one of a number of colored pins dotting across the parchment free. <br/>“Well, It’s safe to say the mountain pass is out.” Wyll stated before pulling up another pin, “The Risen Road too. I don’t know about you, Ray, but I’m not too keen on this ‘shadow cures’ of Halsin’s. Looks like the Underdark is our best option at this point. Damn.”<br/>Rayan nodded her silent agreement, the heavy, mottled fabric of her hood sliding forward atop her tilted head. Rayan drew closer, placing a calloused finger to the red pin indicating the temple turned goblin nest. “Perhaps we should send a small scouting party to the temple of Selûne this afternoon? Without their leadership, the majority of the goblins will have scattered, as you predicted. But, there will doubtlessly be a few stragglers that will choose to remain. It would be prudent to establish-” <br/>Rayan’s words died on the tip of her tongue. A small shiver ran down her spine as a warm, tickling sensation played at the back of her pointed ear. She slid her palm beneath her cloak, seeking a weak spot in the forest-green wool, but there was none to be found. Not that she was entirely surprised. The strange feeling had followed by, well, a sound per se, but rather the impression of one. It had felt like laughter. The sort of low, velvety chuckle that enticed misbehavior from even the primmest of ladies. <br/>Wyll did not seem in the least bit perturbed by her behavior. In fact, she was reasonably sure he was so lost in his own thoughts to have noticed the fact she’d dropped off mid-sentence. The space between Wyll’s brows stitched. His eyes were still fixed on the cherry-red pin. He nodded, a thumb pressed between his teeth.<br/>“Mm, now that’s an idea.” Wyll affirmed, “Perhaps you and Astarion could scout it out from the cliffs near the abandoned village, eh? You’re both the sneaky sort. I’m sure the pair of you could manage it.” <br/>Astarion.<br/>The ruddiness she’d only just chased off returned to her cheeks made a swift reappearance at the simple mention of his name. The simmering pink glow deepened to a proper crimson as her thoughts fell to their tryst not so very far from where she now stood. A palpable… awkwardness, had formed between them as of late. The nature of their relationship, if one could call it that, was still rather nebulous and undefined. Neither one of them seemed sure of how best to approach the other. Each knowing that now, the other has caught a glimpse of things normally kept hidden.<br/>Astarion sat, long legs folded, leaned back pressed against the mossy trunk of a nearby oak tree a few paces away. His deft fingers casually flicking through the pages of an old, leather book. The line of his sculpted mouth quirked ever so slightly at the corner as he turned the next. His ruby eyes glittering with mischief as they peeped slyly over the spine of his book before disappearing into the pages once more. <br/>Something deep within Rayan’s mind stirred as her senses were flooded once more with phantom sensation. A hand, cool but exceedingly gentle, brushed along the high line of her cheek. The feeling was different this time. More solid. It danced across her suntanned skin- a memory made tangible. <br/>And once more she heard it.<br/>That dark, sensual, cheek-reddening laughter. Astarion tried to keep his almost boyish amusement hidden between the pages of his book, but the smug tilt of his lips gave him away. Rayan rolled her slate eyes at his feigned innocence. For someone who prided themselves on their ability to unnoticed if they wished, Astarion was doing a dreadful job of hiding just how pleased with himself he truly was.<br/>He must think he’s quite clever.<br/>Rayan’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a half-smile. Surely, if Astarion could figure out how to use the tadpoles in such a way she could too. </p><p>Astarion snickered into the open page of his book. The parasites were interesting little beasts indeed! Allowing the group to slip into each other’s minds with little more than a thought. He’d seen Gale use their power to show Rayan how he’d come into possession of the Netherese magic, balled up within his chest. Not only showing her his memories but allowing her to experience them as if they were her own. <br/>It had gotten Astarion thinking. If the parasites could transport one’s consciousness into the memories of another, then it would be more than capable of the little trick he’d cooked up. <br/>Astarion felt the parasite writhe with pleasure as he sought out Rayan’s mind. The surface thoughts of each party member brushed against his brain as he searched. Sharp, evasive thoughts he assumed to be Shadowheart’s. Rambling, long-winded, thoughts that had to be Gale’s internal monologue. He skimmed through each of their idle contemplations until he came across observant scrutinies that could only belong to her. <br/>The map she was pouring over alongside Wyll had provided the perfect distraction for him to slip inside her mind. Within the theater of his mind, Astarion conjured up a daydream so tantalizingly vivid that for a moment, even he thought it could have been real. His parted lips hovered just above the elegant line of her ear. Warm breath caressing across the sensitive skin as he let out a sensual chuckle.<br/>He could sense her confusion as he pulled away. A sharp, curious sensation rolled through them both as she inspected her wool shroud. Her lovely cheeks rushed with blood and fluster. Painting the golden tone of her skin a deep crimson. Even at this distance, he could hear the hard pounding of her heart behind her ribs. Astarion ran his tongue along the seam of his lips.<br/>Delicious.<br/>Eyes closed, he pictured her in his mind once more. This time, he forced on the details as he painted a portrait of her within his thoughts. The soft angles of her face. The straight, graceful line of her nose. The liquid sliver of her eyes and the fullness of her seductive lips. He could feel the heat of her cheek against the back of his knuckles as he drew them ever so slowly across her the apple of her cheek. A roguish grin crept up to the corners of his mouth, his face turned down in the aging pages before him. <br/>She’d been puzzlingly distant after their rendezvous. It was a relief to get some sort of reaction out of her at last. He had always known Rayan to be rather direct and to the point. Yet she seemed hesitant and unsure of the shift in their dynamic. As frustrating as it was to be on the receiving end of the cold shoulder, Astarion could hardly begrudge her hesitance. He almost admired it. Rayan was a survivor, just like him. He thought of her bronzed skin in the moonlight and the scars she kept hidden beneath a veil of secrecy and tattoo ink. <br/>Still, It had been dreadfully boring at camp ever since. He’d grown to enjoy her company a great deal. At first glance, she did come off a bit sullen and dour in disposition but as time passed she’d revealed a delightfully sharp, dry wit. Who was he supposed to gossip about the patriars and their idiosyncrasies with? Wyll? Astarion scoffed to himself. He was far too morally upstanding for anything more than lukewarm tittle-tattle. Rayan was bold and honest, her comments always had a remarkably sharp bite to them he was unlikely to find elsewhere. She was bold in her own way. Strong and silent, but definitively unafraid. <br/>It was that very boldness that had inspired his little game that morning. Aloof as she may be, Astarion had never known Rayan to back down from a challenge. Particularly ones handed down by him. His attention flicked up towards her. Her brows pinched, jaw set in determination. He could see her burning stare shift sensual and irresistibly smoky. Astarion’s brow arched in a suggestive invasion as their eyes locked. An unspoken but undeniable taunt. <br/>What are you going to do about it?</p><p>Rayan’s back straightened, her athletic shoulders held with the strength and poise of a queen. With a low, deep breath, she shook off the mousy, timorous jabbering of the debutante living within her thoughts. She needn’t be the demure wallflower of Isabella’s cruel design any longer. She was a woman of her own creation. A huntress who had never in her life backed down from a fight she knew she was more than capable of winning. <br/>With her eyes squeezed shut, Rayan began to visualize Astarion in her mind. He was ever so slightly flush-faced. His dark, ruby red stare glinting with an inquisitive desire that made her feel just a little too exposed. Rayan pushed through the feeling, extending an experimental hand out towards his hard and handsome face. <br/>At first, her fingertips perceived little more than cool morning fog. But the longer she lingered the more tangible the once ghostly feeling became. Soon, she was met with the sensation of soft skin and high cheekbone, the pad of her thumb delicately passing across the subtle birthmark. A salacious grin took shape across the soft line of his mouth as he leaned into her strong hand. Leaving behind a warm, tingling sensation as the vision slipped away.<br/>“I’m sorry.” The sharp sound of Wyll clearing his throat drew her back to the present. His creased brow and expectant look indicating she’d definitely missed something. With a shake of her head and a few rapid blinks, she shook off the wisps of desires still sewing about her head. She glanced over her shoulder, giving Astarion a pointed look as he half-heartedly muffled a chuckle against his palm. “Could you repeat that?”<br/>“You feeling alright?” Wyll asked, his lips pressed into a firm, worried line. “I’ve never seen your mind wander off like that before?” <br/>Rayan’s cheeks warmed, nibbling lightly at her lower lip, “I’m fine. Just thinking about everything we need to get done. That’s all.” <br/>Wyll placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, “Let’s call it a day, eh? You’ve done more than enough already. Take the rest of the night for yourself. I’ll work out the final details.” </p><p>Astarion watched from afar as Rayan gathered her things and made her way back to her tent. His attentions lecherously fixed on the subtle swaying of her well-rounded hips. Once more, he summoned her likeness to mind, placing himself just behind. Leaning forward, Astarion wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest with a firm tug. The strong, elegant shoulders of her likeness shivered.<br/>With his free hand, Astarion pushed away the sea of dark curls, exposing the smooth column of her neck. His mouth pressed against the angular curve of her jaw. A shallow breath caught in Rayan’s throat as his lips teased their way across her skin. Each kiss paving a soft and sinful path toward the fading puncture wounds that marked her delicate skin. Astarion took in a deep lung full of air. The warm, earthy scent of pine and pipe smoke fills his nose as he placed a hungry, open mouth kiss over the indentation of his teeth. <br/>“You’re blushing, Sunshine.” He purred, licking along the flushed point of her ear. “ Are you ready to come to find me for another nibble?”<br/>The corner of Rayan’s full lips edged up into a coy, dimpled smile so sweet it made his teeth ache. She was quite the dour woman. Her eyes were always darkened by clouds of caution and a lifetime of past hurts. Astarion was shocked by how easily he found himself forgetting her youth. The majority of the time, Rayan had the presence of someone with far more life experience than a person with less than a century under their belt<br/>There was something about that smile that drove him wild. It’s subtle, charming curve. The way her eyes shimmered and crinkled at the edges. The impish, intoxicating sound of her laughter, as warm and sharp as the smoke from her pipe. <br/>Rayan slid free from his grasp with graceful ease. Her hands taking up fistfuls of his shirt and yanking him into a greedy kiss. Astarion let out a low whimper as she tugged his bottom lip lightly between her teeth. His hands traveled down the contours of her back, admiring the prowess and strength of her form before arriving at the well-rounded swell of her ass. Cupping the taut flesh as he pressed her hips to his own with a growl. <br/>Though Rayan was supposed to be the seduced, It was Astarion who found himself on the verge of surrender as she nipped her way up and down the length of his throat. It was her teeth sank into the blade of his ear in one final, sultry bite that pushed him over the edge. Her warm breath teased across his skin, setting the hair on the back of his neck on end. With a Playful giggle Rayan spoke, her voice low and rough, “Are you ready for another nibble?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Written for my dear Corpsetoes. Rayana and the idea for this fic are all her's! I am merely the pen!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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